COR®: The construction industry’s proven safety standard
For more than 30 years, the Certificate of Recognition (COR®) program has provided construction employers with a structured approach to managing workplace health and safety. Developed for the construction industry, COR® is now a nationally recognized safety management standard. It is registered, trademarked and endorsed by the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA), and delivered through participating provincial and territorial safety associations.
In Saskatchewan, the Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan (HCSAS) serves the heavy construction sector specifically, while the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association (SCSA) serves the broader construction industry.
One national standard for an industry that works across Canada
Construction does not stop at provincial borders. Companies move workers, equipment and services across Canada. Requiring them to rebuild their safety management systems in every province would add work without necessarily improving safety. The CFCSA helps reduce this duplication through the National COR® Accreditation Standard. It creates a common foundation for COR® across participating jurisdictions while allowing each province and territory to address its own laws and industry needs.
For Saskatchewan’s heavy construction industry, effective safety means building systems that succeed beyond the paperwork
HCSAS uses the Harmonized National Audit Instrument, which aligns with the national standard and maintains 14 core COR® elements across participating jurisdictions. The CFCSA also supports reciprocity for eligible COR®-certified employers working outside their home jurisdiction. This does not replace provincial safety laws, but it can reduce the need to repeat the full certification process.
For Saskatchewan employers, this creates a practical balance: a nationally consistent safety standard that supports worker protection and makes interprovincial work easier to pursue.
What makes COR® different
COR® reflects the realities of construction, where workers, equipment, contractors, conditions and hazards can change throughout a project. The system brings key safety activities together, including leadership, hazard assessment and controls, worker training, inspections, incident investigation, emergency planning, documentation and auditing. The goal is not simply to have safety policies, but to ensure the system works in the field.
Saskatchewan evidence: COR® works
COR® has also been independently studied in Saskatchewan. In 2021, the Partnership for Work, Health and Safety at the University of British Columbia examined the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board and COR® data from 2007 to 2019. Researchers compared certified employers with similar non-certified firms.
The study found that COR® certification was associated with an average 19 per cent greater reduction in time-loss injury rates compared with matched non-certified firms. The researchers did not claim that COR® alone caused the reduction. Company size, industry, certifying partner and other factors can affect results. However, the Saskatchewan findings were consistent with COR® research in British Columbia and Alberta, where certification was also associated with improved injury outcomes. For Saskatchewan employers, COR® is more than a safety model. It is a nationally recognized system backed by measurable results.
Due diligence starts with a functional safety management system
Every safety management system has one main purpose: to help workers go home safely at the end of the day. Compliance, documentation and auditing support that goal, but paperwork alone cannot protect workers. An effective system must help employers and supervisors identify hazards, control risks and make safe work a part of daily operations. In Saskatchewan, safety is a shared responsibility. Employers must provide necessary health and safety training and ensure work is properly supervised. Supervisors also have legal duties to protect the workers they direct and ensure they follow safety requirements.
These duties support the Internal Responsibility System. Management provides direction and resources, supervisors put safety expectations into practice and workers participate by identifying hazards, following safe work practices and protecting themselves and others.
Documentation is evidence – not the entire system
Safety records are important, but completing a form does not prove a safety process is effective. An inspection may identify a problem, but the problem still needs to be corrected. An orientation record shows that information was provided, but workers must understand and apply it. A safe work practice sets an expectation, but workers must follow it in the field. Due diligence requires employers to demonstrate that their safety system is working. Employers must identify hazards, control risks, train and supervise workers and correct problems.
COR® supports this by examining both the documented safety program and its application in the workplace. COR® certification does not automatically establish due diligence. Instead, a properly implemented COR® system provides a structured process and documented evidence that can support and help demonstrate due diligence.
Building systems that work in the field
This is especially important in heavy construction. Earthmoving, excavation, paving, crushing, demolition, sewer and water construction and heavy equipment operations involve changing conditions and hazards. Generic policies and checklists alone cannot manage these risks. HCSAS helps Saskatchewan employers build effective systems through industry-specific training, consultation, auditing and COR® support. The goal is not simply to pass an audit. It is to build a system that continues working between audits.
Every safety management system has one main purpose: to help workers go home safely at the end of the day.
Training develops competency. Hazard assessments identify risks. Inspections verify conditions. Investigations identify problems and their causes. Supervision turns company expectations into field practices. Auditing determines whether these elements are working together. The key question is simple: Is the system actually working?
A strong COR® program helps employers answer that question. It provides a measurable approach to protecting workers, improving accountability, supporting legal compliance and demonstrating due diligence. Most importantly, it keeps workplace safety focused on its purpose: making sure people go home safely at the end of every day.
Your path to COR®: Training, support and certification with HCSAS
Achieving COR® starts before the certification audit. Employers need trained people and clear processes to build and operate an effective health and safety management system. HCSAS supports Saskatchewan’s heavy construction industry through training, consultation, safety management support and auditing. These services help employers build the skills needed to achieve COR® and maintain the system after certification.
Training builds the people behind the program
A safety management system works only when people understand their responsibilities and possess the skills to fulfill them. HCSAS offers training that supports COR® development and implementation. Courses such as Principles of Health and Safety Management, Leadership for Safety Excellence and COR® Auditor Training build skills used directly in the workplace.
Management training shows how individual safety activities work together as a system. Leadership training helps supervisors turn company expectations into field practices. Auditor training teaches participants how to assess whether the system is working. HCSAS also provides or recognizes training in areas such as WHMIS, confined space, ground disturbance, first aid, fall protection and supervisor accident-reduction techniques. COR® provides the framework. Training develops the people who make it work.
From training to implementation
Employers may already conduct inspections, orientations and hazard assessments without integrating these activities into a single management system. HCSAS consultation can help employers understand COR® requirements, identify gaps and improve their processes. The goal is not for HCSAS to operate the company’s safety program. Responsibility remains with the employer while HCSAS provides knowledge and support to help build internal capability.
Auditing and internal capability
Auditing measures whether a safety management system is working against an established standard. An audit does more than provide a certification score. It identifies strengths and weaknesses and gives employers the information they need to correct problems and improve performance. HCSAS also supports the development of safety expertise within member companies. The National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO®) designation combines safety education with practical construction experience. An HCSAS-certified NCSO® is qualified to serve as a COR® Internal Auditor and Construction Health and Safety Representative.
Developing this knowledge internally helps make COR® part of everyday operations rather than something a company focuses on only when an audit approaches.
Plan → Do → Check → Act
HCSAS training uses the Plan → Do → Check → Act model to show how a safety management system continually improves:
- Plan – Identify hazards and risks, select controls, assign responsibilities and establish procedures and training.
- Do – Put the system into practice through training, communication, controls, inspections and daily safety activities.
- Check – Measure performance through inspections, investigations, worker participation, documentation and auditing.
- Act – Correct problems, strengthen controls and use lessons learned to improve the system.
The cycle then repeats: Plan → Do → Check → Act → Plan.
Auditing is part of Check. Its findings allow employers to Act on gaps and improve the next planning cycle. HCSAS supports employers throughout this process. Training builds competency, consultation supports implementation and auditing measures performance against the COR® standard. The goal is not simply to achieve COR®, but to build a safety management system that continues to manage and reduce workplace risk. COR® provides the standard. HCSAS provides the training, expertise and support to put it into practice.
Meet the HCSAS team
HCSAS’s involvement in construction safety extends beyond Saskatchewan. Rob Gowan and CEO Tracy Slywka represent HCSAS on the CFCSA committees, actively participating in national discussions on COR®, harmonization and Canada’s construction safety framework. Each staff member also serves on a CFCSA committee in a second seat, supporting professional development and expanding the team’s knowledge of the national COR® system. Behind HCSAS’s training, consulting, auditing and COR® services is a team with diverse industry experience and practical knowledge of the workplaces they support.
The goal is not simply to pass an audit. It is to build a system that continues working between audits.
Alannah Starkell
Alannah Starkell is an NCSO® with more than 15 years of construction industry experience. Her background includes equipment operation, powerline construction, heavy civil construction, bridge reconstruction and commercial construction. Her extensive field experience gives her a practical understanding of the hazards and challenges workers face across different construction environments.
“I enjoy being able to use that experience to help create safer workplaces, support workers and make sure everyone gets home safely at the end of the day,” Starkell said.
Adam Waldner
Adam Waldner is the Saskatoon office co-ordinator. He brings more than 20 years of construction and skilled-trades experience, primarily as a Red Seal Structural Ironworker, and is currently working toward his NCSO® designation. Waldner has worked across the potash, uranium, oil and gas, LNG, food-processing, industrial construction and infrastructure sectors. His experience spans field work, leadership, worker representation and construction management. He also brings experience in workforce development and trades-based employment coaching, helping individuals entering the skilled trades prepare for careers in construction.
“After many years working in construction and supporting people in the trades, moving into the safety industry was a natural progression,” said Waldner. “I enjoy being able to bring a practical, field-based perspective to my role with HCSAS.”
Anna Wiggins
Anna Wiggins joins HCSAS with an Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner (OHSP) designation from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and is currently working toward her National Health and Safety Administrator designation. Before joining HCSAS, Wiggins gained experience as a health and safety specialist in the manufacturing industry. She is now applying that experience as office co-ordinator for the HCSAS Regina office, while continuing to develop her knowledge and experience within Saskatchewan’s heavy construction industry.
“I chose to go into health and safety because I am passionate about creating training systems that set employees up for success, not failure. The opportunity to create training programs and pursue a career where there is no shortage of learning really appealed to me,” said Wiggins.
Jacob Alo
Jacob Alo is a Board of Certified Safety Professionals Certified Safety Professional and holds the NEBOSH International General Certificate. He is also a candidate for the Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP) exam in October. Alo brings 12 years of safety experience in the oil and gas industry, primarily focused on drilling operations. His background also includes project management, risk management, regulatory compliance and operational safety.
“I chose safety as a career because I am passionate about protecting people, preventing incidents and helping organizations build strong, proactive safety cultures. I believe safety is more than compliance; it is an integral part of operational excellence, responsible leadership and, ultimately, a way of life,” said Alo. “My goal is to help create work environments where people are empowered to recognize hazards, make sound decisions and return home safely every day.”
Justin Warnke
Justin Warnke joins HCSAS with an OHSP designation from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and is currently working toward both his NCSO® and CRSP designations. His background includes experience in both manufacturing and construction, including two years as a millwright and four years as a welder. At 22, Warnke suffered a serious back injury that required two surgeries and ultimately changed the direction of his career. That experience gives his decision to pursue occupational health and safety a personal connection.
In Saskatchewan, safety is a shared responsibility.
“Having always been a promoter of safety in the workplace and realizing following my back injury that physically demanding work wasn’t a long-term option, pursuing safety as a full-time career felt like the natural choice. I enjoy working at HCSAS because I get to build great relationships with our members and provide training through the courses our organization offers,” said Warnke.
Howard Ens
Howard Ens is in his second tenure with HCSAS, having originally joined the association in October 2019 after four years in a supervisory and safety role in the manufacturing industry. After three years with HCSAS, Ens pursued other opportunities before returning in May to resume his role as a safety consultant. Before entering occupational health and safety, Ens spent 14 years as a teacher. That background continues to influence his approach to safety, particularly his focus on adult education and integrating safety into everyday workplace activities.
“My dedication to safety began as a favour to a friend at a manufacturing company,” Ens said. “After 14 years as a teacher, I decided to dedicate my work to the safety field, teaching adults the importance of integrating safety into the day-to-day work routine. I continue to apply my teaching background in this role and look forward to working with the many workers employed by our member companies.”
Experience that reflects the industry
Collectively, the HCSAS team brings experience across heavy civil and commercial construction, skilled trades, heavy equipment, powerline and industrial construction, manufacturing, oil and gas, construction management, workforce development, education and professional safety practice. This breadth enables HCSAS to provide industry-grounded training, consultation, auditing and COR® support, all backed by practical experience and a connection to Canada’s national construction safety framework.
The team’s backgrounds differ, but the objective is shared: to help Saskatchewan’s heavy construction industry build stronger safety systems and ensure workers go home safely at the end of every day.
HCSAS is a nonprofit industry funded partner in construction safety. With comprehensive courses, they connect health and safety throughout the province.